Phils finish dismal season 81-81, first non-winning season since 2003

WASHINGTON — When the 2012 Phillies walked out of the visiting clubhouse Wednesday after a 5-1 loss to the Nationals and headed to an autumn of no postseason baseball, they left the field just as they took it in April -- the same amount of wins as losses, and just one of their Big Three infielders healthy enough to play.

When the Phils opened 2012, Jimmy Rollins was at his position, but his infield mates Ryan Howard and Chase Utley were months away from a return. Wednesday, Utley was the only one of those three on the diamond at Nationals Park, although the injuries Howard (fractured big toe) and Rollins (strained calf) will be long forgotten come spring training, 2013.

That was why, when asked for what he could take from this 81-81 season, Rollins gave a two-word response: “Stay healthy.”

Sound advice.When the Phillies had Utley, Howard and Rollins in the lineup, they were 39-27, a .591 winning percentage. Play at that pace for an entire season, and you have 96 wins -- two games behind Washington’s first-place finish, but good enough for a wildcard berth.

There were a lot of other issues that came into play for the Phillies -- the bullpen was a mess the first three months, Roy Halladay wasn’t himself for the final three months, players brought in to serve significant supporting roles performed somewhere between subpar and terrible.

But the one factor that drew a clear, red line between the Phillies playing like a last-place team and a playoff team was the presence of Rollins, Utley and Howard in the lineup, together.

“It’s a big part. We all balance each other out,” Rollins said. “Chase brings a dimension, Ryan brings a dimension, and so do I. When we’re all in the lineup, it’s kind of like everyone else falls into order, plays their part. You pull one guy out and we still have some balance. But when you pull two pieces out, it’s hard to find who you are and keep your identity. That’s a lot of (the problem) in the first half.”

The good news for the Phillies is that for the first time in a few years, they can feel optimistic that Rollins, Utley and Howard can start 2013 healthy. Utley, plagued by knee troubles in recent years, was spry and had more pop in his bat once he returned from a lengthy regimen this spring to strengthen his lower body. Howard, while slowed by the effects of a reconstructed Achilles’ tendon, remained productive despite a low average as he rushed back to action, and should recover much more mass in his atrophied leg with the ability to focus on strengthening it this winter.

Rollins, in fact, expressed no doubt about what the Phillies will be when returned to whole.

“I don’t really think that hard about it,” Rollins said. “That’s the facts. We were 14 games under (.500), got our lineup back for the most part, and we were 14 games over. We just got back so far that 14 games over only got us back to .500 for the season.

“(The Nationals) had a great year. They have a talented team ... It’s all coming together for them. But us being healthy, they’re still second place. But, we weren’t.”

Charlie Manuel expressed plenty of concerns about the makeup of the team in 2012, and he would like to see his three veterans have a headier, more productive group playing around them, starting with an impact outfielder.

What he really wants is to see his 30-somethings have something of a comeback year as a trio.

“I think what you’re seeing is Ryan and Utley get completely well,” Manuel said recently. “Sometimes when you come back (from an injury) you aren’t 100 percent completely well, or not in really good shape. It takes a while to get back to being in top-notch condition.

“If we can go into next year with those guys where they are in spring training feeling good and in good shape, I think that’s big. I know from an offensive standpoint that when those guys are in the starting lineup, Jimmy becomes a better player. I think the more patient Jimmy is at the plate, the better pitches he’ll get to hit. I think he’ll get more pitches to hit with them in the lineup.

“I can still see Ryan Howard getting back to where he was. Utley’s hitting .260 right now, and it’s a solid .260. He’s hitting balls hard. He’s been hitting into some bad luck, but his strength is definitely there.

“I have a lot of hope. I think they still have some years -- two, three, four good years, solid years. Maybe even more. It depends how healthy they can stay.”

Despite the toe he fractured after dropping a weight on his foot a week ago, Howard believes he will start 2013 as healthy as he was at the start of 2011. He also will be 33 come spring training, so he also is battling Father Time.

“When you have all the working parts healthy and out there every day,” Howard said recently, “it definitely helps our chances -- not just the three of us, but from 1-through-9 and whoever is on the bump. It’s really a total team effort. Trying to be healthy and out there every day is pivotal to that.”